Page 39 of Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants

“Maybe so,” I answer. “But if I’m going to fall through, I’ll do it with my dignity intact, something you can’t say for yourself.”

The air gets thicker with intense emotions. And in that silence, I realize I’ve just done something I never thought I could – I stood up to Daniel Andrews, the man I once admired for his success until I learned of his true nature. And it feels surprisingly good.

12

Daniel

Days of steering clear of Chloe at the office end abruptly when Garamond, the perennial advocate for family gatherings, comes to town. His insistence on having family dinners every couple of months is a well-known thorn in my side, yet I can’t deny how useful they’ve been in the past. We’ve hashed out numerous mergers and acquisitions over these dinners, and I keep telling myself that’s the reason I don’t argue when Michelle pushes for me to invite the bane of my existence to it—Chloe.

Chloe is not family. But she might be helpful when we start talking about business again.

Michelle and I meet Garamond at our favorite steakhouse, House of Prime Rib. The host guides us to his table, and we get seated.

Of course, Chloe’s late.

Despite my irritation with her joining, when she walks in 8 minutes later, I rise and introduce her to my brother, offering her the chair beside me. “Chloe,” I greet.

She rejects my gesture, opting instead to sit by Garamond across the table. “I’d hate for my perfume to aggravate your allergies,” she comments.

Michelle looks skeptical. “Since when do you have a perfume allergy, Dad?”

“I’ve recently come to suffer from it,” I answer, my eyes never leaving Chloe.

Garamond beams a grin and stands to offer Chloe a seat. “Looks like I’m the lucky one then,” he laughs, pretending to sniff the air. “You smell wonderful.”

I mumble about Garamond’s lack of professionalism as we all get situated. I notice Chloe intentionally avoiding my gaze, which I don’t mind at first. The last thing I want is for her to look in my direction because we might just end up getting on each other’s already frayed nerves.

However, I soon find myself taking advantage of her diverted attention to watch her unabashedly. Her presence is incredibly distracting. I frequently shift my focus to my brother, so I can keep my composure.

Garamond is five years older than me, but somehow, he manages to stay young. His dyed hair gleams with the hue of polished silver, his complexion bears the kiss of the sun, and he’s never without his signature tie, adorned with the pin of the American flag. He served as my company’s CPA for a while, but after he resigned to pursue his dreams in real estate, he made it a tradition for us to connect at least four to six times a year.

After the waiter takes our orders, Garamond, ever the charmer, leans toward Chloe and murmurs loud enough for everyone to hear, “I’m actually curious. What is the name of the perfume you’re wearing.”

I can’t bite back my retort. “You might want to reserve flirting with my employee for a more private setting if you wouldn’t like to see your name in tomorrow’s headlines.”

“Oh, come on now,” he chuckles. “I’m not flirting. It’s refreshing.”

“Well, I’ve been warned about being nice and thoughtful. So, for the sake of keeping peace, I’ll keep my fabulous scent a secret,” Chloe responds, winking at him.

Noted on the subtle jabs, Chloe.

Then, she locks eyes with me, shooting me a death glare.

“Why would anyone think being nice is bad?” Michelle whines in disbelief. “What does that even mean—warned about it?”

“Some people are just miserable themselves and want others to join them in their pity party. They probably steal candy from kids for fun,” Garamond adds.

Wait, what just happened? How did this conversation turn so quickly?

“Yeah, or just fire people,” Chloe says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I cough once. Twice. Chloe’s eyes are burning holes into my skin, but I don’t return her glare.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks being nice is normal, good even. Right, Daniel?”

I look up to see everyone’s eyes on me. I don’t like being cornered and Chloe pulled it off with ease. I’ll get her back for it.

“I…uh.” Words fail me, and I can only muster a weak shrug.

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